DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci feels "guilty" for not having released a solo album since 2005's "Suspended Animation". Since the 2010 departure of drummer Mike Portnoy, Petrucci, along with keyboardist Jordan Rudess, has taken on nearly the entire songwriting load for the progressive metal giants, including 2016's much-debated double concept album, "The Astonishing". In an interview with Greg Phillips of Australian Musician prior to DREAM THEATER's September 20 show at The Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia where they were celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of their breakout "Images And Words" album on the "Images, Words & Beyond" tour, Petrucci was asked to describe the working relationship between him and Rudess, who joined DREAM THEATER in 1999: "I think the great thing the way Jordan and I work together is a really great chemistry," said John. "It's very intuitive the way we write and go back and forth. We can almost anticipate what the other player is thinking. At the same time, there are still a lot of surprises that come our way. From album to album, the way that I produce them, sometimes there are changes where the instruments sit and how they interact. But, I don't think the writing nature has really changed. It's been great from the beginning." With the 2018 installment of the "G3" tour featuring Petrucci, alongside DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen and tour founder Joe Satriani around the corner, Petrucci was asked if he has any thoughts about releasing the follow-up to his lone solo album, 2005's "Suspended Animation". "Yeah, I have a lot of thoughts about that," he responded. "In fact, I feel a little guilty. We just announced the new 'G3' tour and I'm thinking to myself 'I still don't have a solo album to do another 'G3' tour.' So yeah, my biggest thing I've been saying and it sounds like an old excuse, as you probably seen with DREAM THEATER's schedule, it's really hard to break away to get the time to be able to do that. Just as an example, after this Asian tour, we go straight into a U.S. tour, hit the holidays, then 'G3' starts. It's kind of a continuous thing, but I will find a way. I have a lot of material. I have played some of it live without a second album actually released. I'll continue to do that. So yes, I'm going to do it." Petrucci also talked about DREAM THEATER's 2018 plans, saying: "After the U.S. run, which ends before the holidays, that will wrap the 'Images' anniversary tour. I have the whole 'G3' thing, which will be a lot of fun. Phil Collen, Joe, of course, Joe has a new album coming out, so that will be exciting. That will take me through a bunch of the first part of next year, then DREAM THEATER will be in the studio later in the year." The third and final leg of DREAM THEATER's "Images, Words & Beyond" tour kicks off October 25 at Oakland's Fox Theatre. The trek takes the band throughout the U.S., including dates at New York City's Beacon Theatre and Los Angeles's Wiltern, as well as a stop at the Sony Centre in Toronto.
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